Nov 09, 2024  
Catalog 2017-2018 
    
Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Institutional Policies & Regulations



Louisiana Residency Status

Residence status is determined by the Office of the Registrar and is based upon guidelines established by the LSU System in Permanent Memoranda 31 available on the Registrar’s website at http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/education/registraroffice

Tuition and Fees

Students in most professional curricula are enrolled on an academic-year basis, whereas certain others are enrolled by semesters. Tuition and fees vary by school and are based on the number of hours for which the student is enrolled.

All students, depending upon the program in which they are enrolled may incur additional expenses. A detailing of the estimate of such additional expenses, when applicable, appears in each such appropriate section of this Catalog/Bulletin.

Tuition and fees are subject to change. Please visit our website at http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/education/registraroffice/tuition-and-fees for the latest tuition schedules for each school.

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $50 must accompany each application for admission for the Schools of Allied Health Professions and Medicine. A non-refundable application fee of $30 must accompany each application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. Checks or money orders should be made payable to: LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport. Certain limited-enrollment curricula require an acceptance deposit to insure a place in the class after a student has been accepted by the Committee on Admissions of the respective professional school concerned. This deposit is credited toward payment of fees due at the time of registration. The acceptance deposit is only refunded if the student is unable to complete registration for reasons beyond the student’s control.

Fees

Fees for graduation are normally assessed at registration for the semester in which the student intends to graduate

Associates or bachelors degree $10
Masters degree $15
Doctorate or professional degree $25

The fee for a duplicate diploma is $25. This fee is also assessed when a diploma is ordered and the student does not graduate as scheduled.

A fee of $17 is charged to cover the cost of thesis or dissertation binding.

All dissertations must be microfilmed, and a charge of $65 is assessed for this service.

An examination fee of $100 is applicable for students in the School of Graduate Studies who are enrolled in the Exam Only course. 

Payment of Fees and Tuition

An invoice outlining all university charges (including tuition and fees) is issued to the student’s LSUHSC - Shreveport e-mail account each academic term for which the student is enrolled. All tuition and fees charged by the university are due by the date indicated on the invoice. The due date is defined as the date in which the student begins classes based on the enrollment session. These dates are identified in the school’s academic calendar found in the catalog or located on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage. Final day to pay is 14th day of Fall/Spring enrollment session or First/Second half enrollment session and 7th day of Summer enrollment session. Accounts will be considered delinquent on the 15th day of Fall/Spring enrollment session or First/Second half enrollment session and 8th day of Summer enrollment session.

Payment Options

  • Credit card • Pay your fee bill with a MasterCard or Visa at the Bursar’s office window located on the first floor of the Medical School room 1-218, 
  • Mail • Print and return the invoice and payment to the LSUHSC - Shreveport, Bursar’s Office , PO Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932.
  • In person • Pay by cash, check, or money order in Bursar’s office window located on the first floor of the Medical School room 1-218.

LSU Health Sciences Center permits students to defer the payment of a portion of fees assessed at registration, e.g., the University Fee, the Non-resident Tuition and miscellaneous charges. In general, deferments will be granted to students with extenuating personal or family circumstances, and to students with financial assistance pending who have completed the appropriate forms and provided the appropriate documentation to process their application for assistance.

Financial Obligations to the University

LSU Health Sciences Center has established the following policy with respect to delinquent student accounts receivable:

  1. A student will be dropped from all enrolled courses by the Office of the Registrar on the 15th day of Fall/Spring or First or Second half and 8th day of Summer due to the student’s delinquent account or when the check offered by the student in satisfaction of the obligation for tuition and fees and/or other charges is not honored by the bank on which it was drawn.
  2. Due notice of the delinquency shall be given to the student by the Office of the Bursar.
  3. There will be a charge of $25 per returned check. 
  4. All financial indebtedness to the Health Sciences Center must be cleared prior to the issuance of grade reports, scholastic and financial aid transcripts, re-enrollment for students who were either previously dropped from school, withdrew from school, or took a leave of absence from school, and prior to graduation.

 

Adding and Dropping Courses

The adding and dropping of courses may be accomplished only in accordance with the dates specified in the school calendars. The effective dates of drops and the applicable grades are determined when the Request for Add/Drop form is received in the Registrar’s Office and validated with the imprint of the date/time stamp. Courses scheduled as “audit” at registration, may be changed to “for credit” only up to the final date for adding courses for credit as specified in the calendar of the school in which the course is offered.

Refund of Fees and Tuition

Upon Termination of Enrollment

Students who withdraw during the first 60% of an enrollment period (semester, term, or billing period) receive a proportional refund of applicable fees based on the percentage of days remaining in the enrollment period as of the withdrawal date. For example, a student who withdraws on the 36th day of a 118- day enrollment period would receive a 70.34% refund of applicable fees. Students who withdraw after the first 60% of the enrollment period do not receive a refund.

For student financial aid recipients, the refund is generally returned to the aid programs (SEE “Return of Title IV Funds” in the Student Financial Aid Section of this Catalog).

Withdrawal date is the day the student begins the official Termination of Enrollment process or otherwise officially notifies their school’s Student Affairs Office of their intent to withdraw. For unofficial withdrawals, the latter of the 50% point in the enrollment period or the last documented date of a student’s educational activity (such as an exam, lab assignment, or academic advisement appointment) is used. The first day of a leave of absence is considered the withdrawal date, unless the student is granted a special exemption based on the nature and length of the leave and their ability to return during the same academic period and resume studies without incurring any additional financial liability.

Upon Dropping Courses

The refund of the University Fee and the Non-resident Tuition will be made on the following basis:

  1. Before classes begin, 90 per cent;
  2. During the first two full weeks of classes, 75 per cent;
  3. During the third and fourth full weeks of classes, 50 per cent;
  4. Thereafter, none.

In making refunds during the summer term, time lapses are reduced to one-half of the above. Fees for auditing courses will not be refunded. Refunds or fee adjustments and the assignment of appropriate grades which may be necessitated by course changes, board examinations, or terminations of enrollment will be determined by the date on which such notices are received in the Registrar’s Office.

Procedures for Withdrawing From the University

All students admitted to a LSU Health Shreveport academic program are expected to continue enrollment until completion of the program. Students who cease enrollment in ALL classes for a given term will be considered withdrawn, unless the student has received an approved Leave of Absence. For clarification, a student that remains enrolled in one class, has not withdrawn and is still considered enrolled. A student may voluntarily resign beginning with the first day of class through the final day for withdrawal. The withdrawal process is initiated in the designated office for the student’s respective school. A Withdrawal Notification Form must be submitted by the designated school official to the Office of the Registrar for students leaving the institution permanently or temporarily. Some academic programs may require additional clearance actions for students leaving the institution. Students returning to the institution after an approved leave of absence or withdrawal must contact their school regarding instructions and requirements for re-entry.

Definitions

Official Withdrawal:

An official withdrawal occurs when a student notifies the institution of his or her intent to withdraw by following the Institution’s Withdrawal Process.

Unofficial Withdrawal:

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student ceases attendance in classes but does not notify the Institution through the official withdrawal process.

Term Withdrawal:

Dropping ALL classes for the term or semester constitutes resigning from the term. Some academic programs may automatically withdraw a student from their academic program if they drop all classes for the term or semester in which they are enrolled. Students should consult their program’s academic policy prior to dropping all classes.

Program Withdrawal:

A Program Withdrawal occurs when a student officially withdraws from their program of study. The Program Withdrawal may occur on the same date of the Term Withdrawal. For program withdrawals, the official withdrawal date will be the date the official written notice is provided by the student to the designated office within his or her school.

Delayed Academic Progression:

This status occurs when a student, who has completed the current term, is deemed academically ineligible (i.e. failure to meet minimum GPA requirement after term has ended or received a non-passing grade) to progress to the next term or payment period and is required to sit out one or more terms. Since the student completed the current or most recent term, the student is NOT considered withdrawn from the Institution. Instead, the student’s academic studies have been delayed and the student’s status will be designated as “Not Enrolled” for all subsequent terms until the student re-enrolls, officially withdraws, or is administratively withdrawn from the academic program. This definition does not apply to students enrolled in the School of Graduate Studies.

Administrative Withdrawal:

  1. The authority to withdraw a student for disciplinary or academic reasons resides with the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled. The dean may delegate this authority to one or more individuals within the school. Any withdrawal initiated by the dean or his/her designee shall be considered an administrative withdrawal. Students who are withdrawn as the result of disciplinary or academic reasons may appeal the withdrawal. During the appeal process, students may or may not be allowed to attend courses at the discretion of the dean or his/her designee. In the case of an appeal, the student’s withdrawal date will be the last date of participation in an academic-related activity. Academic-related activities include, but are not limited to - (a) physically attending a class or clinical instruction where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students; (b) submitting an academic assignment; (c) taking an exam, an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction; (d) attending a study group that is assigned by the institution; (e) participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and (f) initiating contact with faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studies in the course.
  2. The authority to withdraw a student for failure to comply with selected administrative policies and procedures rests with the Registrar. The Registrar may administratively withdraw a student for failure to pay tuition and fees, failure to meet the conditions of provisional acceptance, failure to meet institutional requirements for immunizations, or failure to comply with other policies or regulations for continued enrollment. Any withdrawal initiated by the Registrar shall be considered an administrative withdrawal. Students who are withdrawn by the Registrar may be readmitted, up to the 14th class day, after submitting documentation which verifies their compliance with the administrative policy in question and have approval from the Dean of his/her school to be readmitted.

Leave of Absence:

Student wishing to take a temporary break in enrollment, for reasons other than academic, must apply for a leave of absence from the Institution. All Leave of Absences from academic programs must be approved by the Dean or designee. Students wishing to take a leave of absence should meet with the designated office within their school to request approval of such action.

If the student’s request for a leave of absence is approved, the school’s designated office must submit a completed Withdrawal Notification Form to the Office of the Registrar within two business days of the date of the student’s request for a leave of absence. The official withdrawal date is the first day of the leave of absence unless the student is granted a special exemption based on the nature and length of the leave and their ability to return during the same academic period and resume studies without incurring any additional financial liability. For enrollment reporting and refund calculation purposes, Leave of Absences will be treated as Withdrawals if the last date of the LOA period extends beyond the end of the term or payment period.

Procedures

Students withdrawing from the University, for any purpose, should meet with the designated office for their respective schools. The school’s designated office must submit a completed Withdrawal Notification Form to the Office of the Registrar within two business days of the date they received notice that a student has: 1) given official notice of withdrawal, 2) stopped attending without giving official notice, or 3) failed to return from an approved Leave of Absence. The Office of the Registrar will report changes in enrollment statuses and the date the status change occurred to the Offices of Student Financial Aid and Bursar.

These designated school officials will serve as the point of contact for student withdrawals:

  • Allied Health Professions - Dean, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or Director of Student Affairs
  • Graduate Studies - Dean
  • Medical School - Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

Faculty and staff must refer any student who expresses an unequivocal intent to withdraw to the designated office in their school. When a faculty or staff member determines that a student has stopped attending without giving official notice, they should notify the designated office in the student’s school within two business days.

With the approval of the appropriate school official in the School of Allied Health Professions or School of Graduate Studies, students may drop individual courses. Students may not, however, drop all of their courses. Any student who wishes to drop all of his or her courses will cease to be enrolled and must withdraw from the institution.

Students leaving the institution for any reason should contact the Bursar or Student Financial Aid Offices to inquire about tuition and fee refunds.

Student Academic Appeals

Each of the professional schools of the institution has a procedure for the implementation of student academic appeals of final grades. Detailed information concerning same may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the school concerned.

Student Health Insurance

The Health Sciences Center has a registration requirement that all students must either enroll in the policy endorsed by the school or complete a waiver and provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage by the waiver deadline. Students who do not submit the online waiver form by the deadline will be automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan and charged the approrpriate premium. Since the current student health insurance plan is compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), students should have comparable coverage to the plan that is offered by the University (e.g., aggregate maximum benefit per covered person per policy year should be unlimited). Thus, all waivers submitted must meet the PPACA guidelines in order to be acceptable. Coverage must be maintained throughout the duration of enrollment.  Non-compliance at any time during a student’s enrollment could result in suspension and/or dismissal. Information on this plan may be found at  http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/education/registraroffice/student-health-insurance.

Student Health Services & Records

Before registering for classes, students must provide proof of certain tests and immunizations. Forms for recording this information are provided to each new student.

The Student Health Committee, LSUHSC-Shreveport, provides oversight for the Student Health Program and recommends to the Chancellor. The Student Affairs Office, School of Allied Health Professions, the Office of the School of Graduate Studies, and the Student Affairs Office, School of Medicine, coordinate the Student Health Program for Allied Health Students, Graduate Students and Medical Students, respectively.

Eligibility

Students of the Schools of Medicine, Allied Health, and Graduate Studies and the spouses and dependent children of these students are eligible.

Medical Services

For students and spouses, medical outpatient care will be administered by the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine.

For female students and spouses, obstetric and gynecologic care will be administered by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

For children of students, pediatric care will be administered by the Department of Pediatrics.

Counseling and therapy for students and their dependents will be administered by the Department of Psychiatry.

In addition, various medical and allied health specialty health services and hospital services are available to students and their dependents at LSUHSC-S.

Student immunization records and updating of student immunizations, post-exposure chemoprophylaxis, TB testing, etc., will be handled by the Occupational Health Clinic (Employee Health Clinic). The Occupational Health Clinic will also provide flu immunizations for students, free of charge, at the appropriate time of year.

The details of Student Health Clinic hours, location, phone numbers, procedure for making appointments and handling of medical needs, both within and outside of normal working hours, etc. are available from the Student Affairs office in each school.

Billing and Payment

There is a requisite student health fee at registration.

Students who receive medical treatment or who are referred to outside hospitals or clinics will be responsible for their bills. Students will be expected to pay the charges and then file a claim with their insurance carrier.

The publication LSUHSC-Shreveport, Student Health Program, contains additional information.

Student Policy for Requesting Accommodations

LSUHS seeks to comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by providing reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Identification as a student with a disability is always voluntary. However, only those students who identify themselves to the University and/or present appropriate documentation of a disability are eligible for accommodations.

Students are responsible for providing documentation of a disability and must contact their school’s academic dean (or dean’s designee) to request disability related accommodations. Costs associated with documentation of a disability are the responsibility of the student. Upon receipt of such information, the dean (or dean’s designee) will determine what reasonable accommodations, if any, are appropriate for the student.  Detailed policy may be obtained through each school’s Admissions office.  

Student Identification Cards

Each year, LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport student identification cards are issued or validated by the University Police Department. Students must present their cards to avail themselves of certain services and privileges, for identification to authorized University authorities, and for building access. The identification card must be worn while on campus, displayed on the front portion of the outer garment, clearly visible and not obscured in any way. Exceptions may be made in sterile areas or where damage may occur.

Student Publications

A yearbook, “The Pulse,” is published by students of the institution.

Student Discipline

The disciplinary powers of The LSU administration are derived from the provisions of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and the Louisiana Revised Statutes which established the Board of Supervisors with the power to adopt rules and regulations necessary for the government of The University consistent with the purposes for which it was founded and to adopt rules and regulations governing student conduct.

The University  therefore, has a responsibility to protect its educational purposes, and, as a corollary, its community. It follows that the function of its disciplinary powers is to protect its educational purposes and the health and safety of its community and the safety of property therein, through regulating the use of University facilities and setting standards of scholarship and conduct for its students.

Office for Sponsored Programs and Technology Transfer

The Office for Sponsored Programs and Technology Transfer at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport provides a means for faculty and staff to bring significant novel intellectual property to the commercial marketplace.

Inventors submit a technology disclosure form to the Office. The technology is reviewed by the Scientific Review Committee for feasibility and patentability, The Committee is composed of leading researcher’s and faculty members from the Health Sciences Center. In addition, the Office uses various sources to assess the market potential of the intellectual property.

When the Scientific Review Committee recommends approving a technology on the basis of feasibility and patentability; and the Office has completed its market assessment; it is then presented to the Chancellor for approval of funding to obtain a patent.

For additional information contact:

Annella B. Nelson, M.B.A.
Assistant Vice-Chancellor,Office for Sponsored Programs & Technology Transfer
LSUHSC-Shreveport
1501 Kings Highway
Shreveport, LA 71103
Phone (318) 675-4741
Email anelso@lsuhsc.edu

Student Financial Aid

Financial aid, including grants, loans and some scholarships, is administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Students interested in receiving financial aid should contact this Office well in advance of their expected enrollment. Each student’s need for aid will be evaluated on information supplied and in accordance with Financial Aid Policy of the Health Sciences Center. Representatives of the Office are available for consultation with all candidates for admission and students.

Detailed information regarding Student Financial Aid may be found at www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/financialaid/FinancialAidHome.aspx